How Are You Right Now?
When Covid-19 became an international concern in 2020 it abruptly upended our lives. Almost every aspect of our world were transformed – how we learn, how we work, how we socialize or how we communicate has changed, even our collective sense of time has been affected. Some of us survived this virus but unfortunately some of us lost a loved one. Our lives changed in a very critical way that will permanently affect us.
Up to now, we all have one wish and hope – that we can all go back to our normal lives. The past 18 months was very challenging to most of us, as for me, I considered it to be emotionally overwhelming.
A few days ago, I posted in my Instagram account about how I don’t feel good scrolling through my social media accounts nowadays, seeing more condolences message being shared in my friends’ wall almost every day doesn’t feel right. Our social media was used to be filled with celebratory messages, since Covid-19 outbreak more people, we know are losing loved ones: sons, daughters, dad or mom, spouse, cousins, friends and the list goes on. We may have experienced to be touched by death in our lives at one point, but no one will ever get used to that and loosing someone in the midst of this pandemic makes it even harder to grieve and let go. The sudden lost is already painful but not being able to come together to comfort each other makes it ever harder. We can’t pay respect to our deceased loved-one in the traditional manner, we can’t grieve properly, we didn’t even have the chance to say our final goodbye. This is just one of the many difficult situations that makes dealing with the pandemic even harder.
We were okay before the pandemic – we have our own routine where we tend to anchor our life to. Our daily schedule, may it be at work or in school, the events and ceremonies that we participate in and the plans that we make and look forward to serve as our guide and motivation. We were excited and elated when we were marking our calendars for the special events and occasions and in making our checklist for the activities we planned. We planned to be with family and friends and celebrate special moments with them – face to face, unmasked, hugging them, sitting beside them, sharing food with them. But it was before we learned about Covid-19 and how it can easily take anyone’s life. Suddenly our plans were cancelled. We were forced to do work or school activities inside the four corners of our home. We have to adjust to the new situation, we have to have the “new normal.”
Eighteen months after, some countries are starting to open up, we were all excited to go back to normal. Here in Winnipeg, we still have some restrictions that we need to observe, it’s still better than not seeing any progress at all. Well… there’s nothing much that we can do about the virus aside from being extra careful and follow protocols to keep ourself safe and to keep our loved ones safe… I am not sure if it’s just the more “emotional” me, but lately asking or being asked “how are you?” is more meaningful for me. I feel that it is something necessary to ask to the people we talk to everyday.
I hope that you will agree with me if I say that the past 18 months have been a learning curve for all of us. Lately, I’ve come to become more concerned. I’ve become more attentive with the people I encounter every day. I’ve come to realized how the people we meet each day can directly or indirectly touched our life (the other way around.) Nowadays we are unsure what everyone of us is going through – who is grieving and hurt for loosing a family or a friend, who is financially struggling because they loss a job or who is anxious because they feel overwhelmed with everything that is happening. Our simple act of kindness or simple words of concern may be something that can lift someone, regardless if they are people we know or if they are strangers. Creating a supportive space where we can share our hopes and our fears is something that is very valuable, nowadays.
Today, I thought I can make use of this little space of mine in the internet world to create that space to anyone… to make you feel that you are not alone. So, tell me, how are you feeling right now?
